Farewell CBGB & OMFUG

CBGB is closing tonight. Patti Smith is going to bring things full circle as she performs the final show at the historic club. In a way, I suppose, CBGB is an iconic place, like the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Unlike the Cavern Club, though, there was an opportunity to save CBGB, but Hilly Kristal ultimately was not able to keep it open. And so another rock and roll landmark bites the dust. The tentative plan now is to reopen in Las Vegas. Whatever happens, even if Hilly brings the toilets, it won’t be the same as the dirty little club in the Lower East Side.

I can say I did see CBGB and had a beer there. It was during an afternoon many years ago and some band I’d never heard of was doing a sound check. That’s about it for my CBGB experience. To acknowledge the closing of the club that introduced the Ramones to the world, I’ve got a few things from an album called “DIY: Blank Generation / The New York Scene (1975-78).” Although far from complete, this is a sample of the seminal bands from CBGB’s early days.

Sonic Reducer.mp3 Dead Boys

In the Flesh.mp3 Blondie

Blitzkrieg Bop.mp3 Ramones

Ask the Angels.mp3 Patti Smith Group

Love Comes In Spurts.mp3 Richard Hell & the Voidoids


Here are a couple of good articles about the closing:
Between Punk Rock and a Hard Place from New York Magazine
The End of an Era from antiMUSIC.com
The Queen Of CBGB from antiMUSIC.com
And, of course, The CBGB Website

posted by aikin @ 3:45 PM